I may be an expatriate St. Louisan, but I'm a Cardinal Fan Forever. Mostly, I write haiku recaps of every game. Occasionally, I write longer stuff with pictures.

Restaurant Review – Mike Shannon’s

My Dad and I ventured downtown on a peaceful, unseasonably
warm November Friday evening to dine at Mike Shannon’s. The reviews of Mike’s new place had been
glowing, so our expectations were high, and they were met. The place was not
busy, probably because we were eating a little later than the usual St. Louis dinner hour, and
because there was no sporting event to draw folks downtown. We were seated in the main dining room at a
window table that gave us a nice view of the downtown Christmas lights and of
ambling horse and buggies.

Looking around the room, I noticed the décor was much more
tasteful than most sports-themed restaurants. Some large photos of Mike Shannon and the Cardinals of his era hung on
the walls. Bats were racked rather
artistically in glass cases to create a partition. A beaded glass curtain separated off a
semi-private dining alcove. Tables had
white table clothes and plush chairs.

The restaurant has steaks and seafood in its name, and the
menu gives plenty of choices of both. Everything is a la carte, so bring your wallet. We found the food to be well worth the
money. We started with house salads,
which were decent if a little too reminiscent of The Pasta House. I like The Pasta House Salad, but it gets a
little repetitive. My dad ordered a filet mignon, and I ordered the New York strip
steak. Both were cooked to our liking,
and the filet, while it was the smaller cut, was so big my dad took some
home. We also shared a side order of
creamed spinach, which was delicious. I think creamed spinach is the perfect
accompaniment to a steak. The side
dishes may seem pricey (averaging $7-8), but they are big enough to share.

We were too stuffed for dessert, but the robust coffee
provided a nice finale. Our waiter was attentive and pleasant throughout the
meal.

I’d say the steaks were as good as any I’ve had in St. Louis (competition
would be Kreis’ and Carmine’s). We
agreed we’d definitely like to revisit Shannon’s.
If I could afford it, I’d eat there as often as Mike says “Ole Abner has done
it again.” To sum up my feelings on the
restaurant, I’ll borrow a catchphrase from Mike’s late, great broadcasting
partner: “That’s a winner!”

Have you eaten at Shannon’s?
Do you have other St. Louis
steakhouse recommendations? Post your comments.

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